In fact, the findings show that a whopping 10 per cent of couples now regularly sleep apart in separate beds to make room for one or more animal companions – with almost a fifth admitting to doing this as many as six nights a week.

Those in the 35-44 age bracket (17%) are most likely to share their bed with a pet, with Bristolians being revealed as the biggest pet-lovers as a whopping 25 per cent of couples admitted to now regularly sleep in separate beds to make room for one or more animal companions.

Kinga Cichewicz / Unsplash

The top five cities where respondents are most likely to favour an animal companion to their partners are as follows:

“It’s no surprise that Brits love their pets, but the research findings are particularly fascinating as we see so many people opting to put their animal friend ahead of their significant other. However, it’s widely known for pets to have a calming effect and offer comfort to their owners, something which promotes deep sleep, so the trend is understandable”.

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